**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender (duh)

Sam and Veronica, Lance's older sister, led their meeting. In the dim lighting of the conference room, Shiro, the paladins, Mari, Scarlett, Coran, and Romelle sat on one side of the long table, while the Garrison's top officers were placed across from them. James, Rizavi, and two of their comrades stood behind the Garrison side, and frowning Admiral Sanda sat at the head of the table. The presentation screen lit up with a map of the Earth and then a map of campus, where several points had been highlighted.

"Sendak's forces remain at bay, but without a meaningful supply line, we're slowly being suffocated," Sam began, jumping right into business.

"No one else is putting up a fight against Sendak?" Shiro asked in disbelief.

"Small underground pockets of resistance have attempted to do so with varying degrees of success," Veronica answered. "Eventually, all were discovered and systematically wiped out. Earth's offensive capabilities simply don't stand a chance against the Galra."

"Why don't we bring more people into this base?" Hunk piped up. He'd been awfully quiet ever since they'd arrived, the news of his missing family having severely diminished his morale.

"We've had to put a halt on our extraction ops as they were proving to be too risky," Sam admitted.

"But there are good people out there. They could be protected," Hunk said, desperate and pleading. "My family's out there."

Sam frowned and bowed his head, regretful. "I'm sorry, Hunk."

Tears pooled in the Yellow Paladin's eyes. "But if we have an opportunity now – "

"Hey, do paladins not understand the chain of command?" James barked, stepping forward to silence him. "Your CO said it was too dangerous."

Keith's eyes narrowed at him and Pidge and Lance frowned. The tension thickened in the room as the two sides glared at one another.

"Officer Griffin, that's enough," Sam firmly ordered, forcing James to back down into silence. He sighed, turning to Hunk once more as he gently continued, "Believe me, I understand what you're going through, Hunk. We all have family out there, but we have to weigh our options. We can't lose ten people to save twelve. I'm sorry."

Hunk sagged in his seat, but dared not to speak out again. How easy it was to say such a thing when the rest of their loved ones were safe and sound beneath the Garrison's particle barrier. Pidge consolingly took his hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze, a silent reminder that they weren't going to give up on finding his family. Allura's mouth pressed into a thin line before she stood from her seat, drawing everyone's attention to her rather than Hunk.

"Well, then let's find out what we can do," she suggested, her tone shifting to royal diplomat mode. "You said you've integrated Altean tech with Earth weaponry? Can we see it?"

"Of course," Sam nodded, relieved for the change in subject.

The others stood and followed him out of the conference room and down several winding hallways to a glass elevator. They all crammed inside and rode it down to the bunker levels of the Garrison.

"The Mecha-Flex-Exo fighters, or MFEs, are extremely agile with advanced weaponry, but are only capable of short-range attacks," Sam explained as he pointed to four fighter ships sitting on the hangar floor below. "Sustaining power with Altean-infused technology is an issue we're trying to overcome."

"Maybe Scarlett and I can help you out with that," Coran said. "I do have some leftover faunatonium. It's an Altean fuel additive, but it has some unexpected side effects, so don't get any on you."

Sam blinked in surprise, but didn't question it as they stepped out of the elevator to inspect the MFEs. Scarlett hummed as she circled the one closest to her. "I've built my own spaceship before. Gimme the blueprints and maybe I can rework a few things for better functionality," she nodded more to herself than to the others.

James snorted. "You've built a spaceship?"

Scarlett whirled on him, her antenna glowing in her rising anger. "Yeah, I've built one, mop-head," she snapped, making James take a cautious step back. "One without power problems and a tighter build than these primitive things. No offense, Sam."

"None taken," he said with a shake of his head.

Before Scarlett could throw hands with the leader of the MFE pilots, Sam wisely steered them over to their next project: a massive ship that would replace the Castle of Lions.

"This is our battleship, the Atlas. It's large enough to house all of the lions and an entire command unit," he said, watching as Team Voltron gaped at the gigantic aircraft.

"It's built, but it can't fly," Admiral Sanda remarked, an even bitterness dripping from her tone as she faced them. "Everyone, there's a subject we can't avoid any longer. Sendak attacked Earth because he wanted the lions, and now they're here. It seems that we need to at least discuss our options."

Shiro stared at her as if hadn't heard her correctly. "Are you suggesting that we willingly hand over the lions to the Galra?"

"Our supplies are gone. We spent all our resources on a ship that doesn't fly. The weapons we do have are not enough to mount an attack," she huffed, her frustration evident. "All we can do is protect a small pocket of Earth. But for how much longer?"

"The universe needs the lions," Sam insisted, trying to get her to see reason.

"So does Earth," she stubbornly replied. "They're our only bargaining chip."

"I agree with the admiral," one of her older subordinates came to her defense. "Earth has been nearly destroyed. Countless citizens have been lost. But it could all be over if we give up the lions."

"We have a fighting chance now that the lions have returned," Iverson chimed in, siding with Sam and Shiro. "We need to take it."

"I'll settle this argument right now. We're not giving up the lions under any circumstances," Allura said, her resolve commanding and unwavering. "There is no negotiating with Sendak."

Admiral Sanda bristled at their insubordination. "Maybe you should leave the matters of Earth to the people who live here," she retorted, and Allura's brilliant eyes shimmered in her rising anger. The other paladins shifted uneasily, their own rage flaring.

"With all due respect Admiral, the lions are hers to begin with, not yours. You don't get to decide this on your own," Mari reminded her, unable to keep a lid on her own irritation. The admiral's cold eyes flashed with fury as they landed on her, but she held her ground as she pressed forward. "Sendak is a ruthless killer. We've witnessed his cruelty firsthand. He could take out this entire campus right now if he wanted to. He will wipe out the human race, whether we give him the lions or not."

The admiral's jaw clenched as she took in the twelve glares being cast her way, each of them refusing to back down and let her have her way. She opened her mouth, ready to put them all in their place, but Shiro quickly stepped forward before she could try.

"Please, Admiral," he began, firm and authoritative and refusing to bend to her will. "I respect that you'll do anything you can to protect Earth. But trust us, we've been through more than you could ever imagine. We have fought the Galra on the fringes of the universe and in their very home. I know there's a way to defeat Sendak."

"How? We barely know what we're up against," she snapped, exasperated. "We need intelligence, and we just don't have it."

"Maybe we do," Allura intervened, remaining much more composed than the fuming admiral as she turned to Sam. "That information you downloaded from the Castle of Lions contains Sendak's memories."

"How does that help?" he wondered.

"It might give us some insight into Sendak's plan," Pidge realized, her face brightening. "Allura, you're a genius!"

Sam nodded, warming up to the idea. "We just need some time," he said, addressing the admiral once more.

Admiral Sanda pursed her lips, mulling over his request. "Fine," she relented, although the harshness lingered in her voice. "Get it done immediately."

Not a moment was wasted as Allura, Pidge, and Colleen were granted access to the Garrison's computer systems where all of Sam's information from the Castle of Lions was being stored. While they worked on searching through Sendak's memories, Sam took Shiro, Iverson, Coran, and Scarlett to upgrade the MFEs and to see what could be done about the Atlas' lack of a power source. With nothing for him to do for the time being, Lance regrouped with his family, catching up on the four years they had been separated. Hunk and Keith had made themselves scarce, disappearing without a word somewhere deep inside the facility. And Mari was left with two options: find her parents and Jia and Maggie and be forced to explain her four-year adventure in space, or wander the halls for a few hours until it was time for lights out.

Drained from the hectic events of the day, she chose the peace and quiet of the latter. No one paid her much mind as she milled about the facility. Thankfully, her face wasn't as well known to the residents of the Garrison as the paladins' were. The members of the decontamination team recognized her immediately though as she ran into a couple of them struggling to put a collar on Kosmo. His blue coat was shiny and fluffy after having allowed them to wash him, but now he growled every time they tried to grab his head and force him to stay still. He'd slip out of their clutches, vanishing right before their eyes before reappearing on the other side of the hall. He trotted up to Mari as she approached, nuzzling into her hand before warily regarding the flustered duo in hazmat suits.

"You! Please, you have to help us with this wolf," one of them begged. Her voice trembled as if she were on the verge of tears. "We've been chasing it around the entire building. It's making it impossible to leash it."

Mari fondly petted Kosmo's head, his fur soft and warm beneath her fingers. "He's got a free spirit," she shrugged, granting them a helpless smile. "You can't collar him."

"But we can't have a wild animal running around campus," she insisted. "What if it hurts someone?"

"He's not a wild animal," Mari assured her. "Kosmo would never hurt anyone unless they're an enemy. He's very smart."

The second individual straightened. He crossed his arms and his eyes narrowed as he frowned at her. "Admiral Sanda ordered it," he claimed with a hint of smug authority.

Mari stared evenly back at him, unmoved by his attempt to scare her into compliance. "Even if you manage to get a collar on him, he'll only teleport right out of it. You might even be unfortunate enough to get yourselves whisked away to another dimension in the process," she pointed out, and the woman made a terrified squeaking sound. "But if the admiral 'ordered it', then by all means, continue wasting your time wrestling with a cosmic wolf."

The man hesitated. His gaze flicked to Kosmo before returning to Mari. "Fine!" he snapped. "We won't leash it. But if it causes any trouble, you'll be answering to the admiral, not us!"

"I'll be more than happy to."

He made a dissatisfied tsking sound in the back of his throat before whirling on his heel and stomping down the hall, his companion nervously trailing after him. Left alone once more, she rolled her eyes.

"Sorry about that, buddy," she murmured, rubbing Kosmo behind his ears. "Let's go find your dad, okay?"

Kosmo led the way as they traversed the complex, tracking the leader of Voltron with swift ease. Cadets and officers lingering in the halls steered clear as the space wolf confidently walked by, unable to suppress their startled gawking. Eventually, they came to a corridor in the main building with only two occupants: Hunk and Keith, both standing in front of a locked door. Hunk was crouched over the keypad, lost in concentration as he messed with the buttons and several exposed wires. Whatever room this was, they were obviously breaking into it.

"What are you two doing?" Mari hissed, making a beeline for them and cautiously glancing up and down the hall in case an officer walked by.

"We're getting our armor," Keith said, unfazed by her sudden appearance. He glanced down at Kosmo as he sidled up to him in a warmer greeting. "We're going out."

"Going out where?"

"I'm getting my family. I don't care what Mister Holt says, I need to find them now," Hunk stated, his frown deepening as the wires pinched between his fingers sparked. His eyes were pleading as he cast her a pained look. "Don't try to stop us."

She almost let out a sigh of relief. She was glad Hunk wasn't giving up. He deserved some answers. He deserved to find his loved ones. "I won't," she assured him. "Go get your family, Hunk."

A grateful smile tugged up the corners of his mouth. "Thank you, Mari," he said, just as the keypad chirped and the door to the room slid open. His face lit up in success. "I've got it!"

Hunk charged into the room, followed by Keith. The duo threw open the sterilization chamber that had been disinfecting their suits and weapons and found their paladin gear. As they tugged on their armor at rapid speed, Mari and Kosmo stood watch in the doorway. When they were dressed and ready to go, she stepped aside for them to leave.

"I'll cover for you if anyone asks where you went," she promised as Hunk hurried to return the keypad wires and buttons to their proper places, fixing the door and removing any signs of a break in.

"Thanks," Keith said with a slight nod. "We'll be back before curfew."

"What are you doing?"

The trio jumped as Aaren rounded the corner, catching them just as the door slid shut. His hazmat suit helmet removed, his hair was a tousled mess and he clutched an open water pouch in his hand. His eyes were burning with anger as he marched up to them. "The sterilization process isn't finished yet!"

Hunk leapt to his feet, ready to face him. "We didn't bring back any space germs, man," he said, careful to keep his tone friendly but firm. "The machine was almost done anyway. The timer had, like, two minutes left on it."

Aaren's scowl deepened as he regarded the Yellow Paladin. "I'm not taking any chances. You guys aren't even supposed to be leaving the premises," he snapped. Then turning to Keith he said, "Just because you're Voltron doesn't mean you can do whatever you want here. I'll report you."

Keith grit his teeth. He took a threatening step forward, and Aaren's hands curled into fists at his side as he prepared to defend himself.

"Okay, that's enough," Mari sharply intervened before a fight could ensue. There was already enough strife between the Voltron and Garrison teams. The last thing they needed was to be deemed violent and completely insubordinate. "You two, get outta here and go," she said, jerking a thumb down the way she'd come as she addressed the pair of paladins. Then glaring at Aaren, she continued, "And you, you aren't going to report them. You're going to stay here and keep your lips zipped."

Keith and Hunk hesitated for a moment, but they didn't argue with her. Taking their chance to leave, they ran down the hall and disappeared from sight. Aaren moved to go after them, but he didn't get far as Kosmo manifested in front of him, blocking his path. He took half a step back from the space wolf, smart enough not to push his luck against the creature.

"Why did you do that?" he demanded as he faced Mari.

"I'm trying to help my friend," she replied coolly, as if this should've been obvious.

"You're jeopardizing our only chance of stopping this invasion."

Mari's blood began to boil. "Hunk has been waiting for years to reunite with his family. That's all he's been looking forward to ever since we left Earth," she shot back. "He's done more than you can imagine to help the universe. He's helped me countless times. The least I can do is help him find out what happened to them."

"You don't know how much the outside world has changed since the Galra arrived," he said with a bitter shake of his head. "They don't know what they're up against out there. They're going to get themselves killed."

"They won't," she insisted. "You don't know what they're capable of. Have a little faith in them."

Aaren let out a humorless huff. "Forgive me for not exactly trusting two complete strangers, chosen saviors or not."

"Well, if you trust me, you can trust them."

"That's a loaded request considering you punched me and broke my nose the last time we talked."

Mari's hands curled into fists. She was tempted to punch him again right here and now. "You kissed me! Out of nowhere without my consent! You brought that upon yourself," she exclaimed, incredulous. "If anyone shouldn't be trusted, it's you."

Regret flashed in Aaren's eyes. The fight drained from him as he ran a hand through his hair, the exhaustion from the day catching up to him. He leaned against the wall and sank to the floor in defeat. His voice was quiet as he admitted, "I know. You're right. We left on a bad note. I'm surprised you're even willing to talk to me." He sighed, dragging his gaze up to meet hers. His expression was pinched with pain, the weight of a four-year burden rising to the surface. "But I've been thinking about it a lot, and I…I'm sorry for kissing you and making things uncomfortable between us. I shouldn't have done it. I've regretted it every day since. I'm so sorry, Mari."

He sounded tired but sincere. She folded her arms over her chest as she frowned at him. "Do you expect me to forgive you now or something?" she asked, refusing to let her guard down.

Aaren shook his head. "No. We don't have to be friends, either," he said, rueful but certain. "I just hope we can move forward from this and work together as allies to get through this war."

Mari said nothing as she mulled over his words. With Keith and Hunk long gone, Kosmo padded over to her side, watching the human man with alert golden eyes. She absentmindedly stroked his back as she decided, "I think we can manage that."

Aaren's face softened in relief. "So, what now?" he prompted, warily eyeing the cosmic wolf. "You just gonna keep me here in this hallway until they come back?"

She leaned back against the wall across from him, a tiny smirk playing on her lips. "If that's what it takes to stop you from tattling, then yes."

He let out another sigh. "Fine. I won't go anywhere," he relented, sipping sourly from his pouch of water. "I'm no match for a rugged space rebel and a superpowered wolf."

A long moment of silence passed between them as he emptied his water. Kosmo sat in front of him, casually lounging as he guarded their prisoner. Mari hesitated before finally speaking up again.

"My dad said you helped him and my mom get here," she began slowly. "...Thank you."

"It wasn't a problem. Maggie would've killed me anyway if I hadn't," Aaren murmured. He crumpled the empty pouch in his hand and held it in his fist as he regarded her. "You've changed a lot since we were kids," he noted, granting her a tiny smile. "You're…cooler, in a way. Maturer. I expected you to punch me again when you saw me."

If they'd come home four years earlier, younger Mari just might have. "That's what life as a 'rugged rebel' will do to you," she shrugged.

His smile faded as he fiddled with the crushed ball of plastic in his hands. "What was it like out there? In space?" he wondered quietly.

"It's thrilling. And terrifying," she admitted. "I can't tell you how many times I thought I was going to die."

"Do you regret it?"

Mari took a moment to consider his question. She'd made countless new friends during her time in space. She'd been able to achieve her dreams, learning how to fly and traveling to unknown worlds. She had experienced things she would never have gotten to if she had stayed on Earth. And she was slowly healing from past wounds. Despite the pain and the fear, despite the loss and all the nightmares, despite the long nights she used to spend alone, crying in the darkness…she didn't regret making that fateful decision to venture out into the desert and find the Blue Lion's cave. If she had to do it all over again, she would.

"I don't," she finally answered him with unwavering certainty. "Not at all."

Aaren hummed as he considered her answer. "Then do you regret coming home?"

"There are things that I still need to do in space. I have friends who are waiting for me, and I want to do whatever I can to help them," she carefully replied. "But I can't do anything until Voltron returns. Coming home first was…inevitable. Scary. But necessary. I don't regret it if it means we'll be one step closer to establishing universal peace."

He nodded. "You've got a strong sense of duty and loyalty to the cause," he said, pinching the plastic ball between his fingers. "I get it. I want to do whatever I can to help the Garrison team here."

His eyes burned with determination and a passionate honesty, and Mari smiled a bit upon seeing it. "You've gotten a lot more responsible and considerate than you were before," she mused. "College life beat that into you?"

Aaren chuckled. "Yeah. What I got to experience of it, anyway," he said, bringing his attention back up to her once more. "My girlfriend's been there to knock some sense into me."

She tilted her head, curious now. "Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Her name's Tammy. We met in school. She's a junior medic here now, too."

"Wow. Congratulations."

"Yeah." He tried and failed to suppress a giddy grin, a light dusting of pink coloring his cheeks just thinking about her. He nodded to Kosmo as he added, "I think she was in charge of washing your wolf."

Mari recalled the girl in the hallway who had sounded like she was going to cry trying to wrangle Kosmo. A wave of relief washed over her and the nagging worry in the back of her mind that Aaren hadn't moved on disappeared in an instant. She hoped Tammy was a good woman. She hoped Aaren treated her well, and vice versa.

"He's not mine, actually," she explained, kneeling down next to the Kosmo. "Keith raised him."

"Keith…That's the Red Paladin, right?"

"He wears red, but he's the Black Paladin," she clarified. "He flies the Black Lion."

"He's looked like he's wanted to kill me ever since you guys arrived."

"He's always frowning like that."

"Oh." Aaren paused for a second. "So are you two dating?"

Mari stiffened. "What makes you ask that?"

"You two attacked a military team before launching off into space, you're watching his wolf who treats you like his second master, and he glares daggers at me every time I talk to you," Aaren said, counting off his fingers. "Wasn't he the kid Shiro took under his wing? I thought you were mad jealous of him."

"I wasn't that jealous of him," Mari muttered, although as soon as the words left her mouth, she knew it was a lie.

She remembered all the times Shiro had ranted to her and their parents about how he'd discovered the next genius pilot. He was smart, skilled, and a bit of a troublemaker, but he was destined for greatness. It had pissed Mari off to no end initially – this kid was already living her dream and he was getting to spend all this time with her brother. She'd refused to hang out with Shiro on his days off because he'd wanted to introduce her to this kid with the hopes that he could finally make some friends. But if this kid had everything she'd wanted, then she, at the very least, wouldn't give him this one thing he didn't have. She'd been embarrassingly petty and naive back then, and she cringed at the thought of it. But in the end, her plan had been all for nothing anyway. Here they were now as friends, possibly even more than that.

"So you like him now?" Aaren asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She let out a heavy sigh. "It's complicated."

"Love is only complicated if you make it complicated," he countered.

There was a groan and they turned to see Lance heading towards them, walking hand-in-hand with his niece and nephew. "Ugh, what romance novel did you steal that line from?" he wondered, and Aaren scowled at him.

"What're you doing here?" Mari asked, standing up straight to meet him.

"Are you here to sneak out too?" Aaren deadpanned, pushing himself off the floor as well.

Lance lifted a confused brow. "What? No. Silvio and Nadia wanted to meet 'the space doggy,'" he said, and the two youngsters eagerly nodded.

Kosmo considered them for a moment. Then he rose to his feet and drew closer, sniffing them before permitting them to pet his luscious fur, eliciting excited giggles from them. Lance smiled at their reactions, but it didn't last long as he turned his attention back to the two humans chilling in the hallway.

"What are you two doing out here?" he wondered, and his gaze narrowed at Aaren. "He's not bothering you, is he?"

Aaren rolled his eyes. "I'm not."

"We were just talking," Mari assured the paladin. Then changing the subject, she asked, "How's your family doing?"

Lance's eyes twinkled with joy. "Everyone's alright," he said, his grin returning. "Seeing all of them again almost doesn't feel real. I know we're in a pretty tight situation right now, but…I can't help but be happy."

He watched fondly as Nadia and Silvio snuggled the space wolf, saying nothing but good things about his fur and calm demeanor. Mari cast him a tiny smile, letting him know she was glad to hear it.

Awkwardly clearing his throat, Aaren interrupted the peaceful atmosphere. He crossed his arms over his chest as he addressed Lance. "Well, while you're here, Blue Paladin – "

"Red, actually," Mari corrected him.

"...Red Paladin, why don't you make yourself useful and help us return your things to your sleeping quarters?" he continued, gesturing to the door where their armor was being stored. "They're done being cleaned."

The relaxed glee fell from Lance's face. He pouted at the assignment of a chore, but he wouldn't argue and gripe in front of his niece and nephew.

"Yeah. Sure thing," he said flatly, and he waited for Aaren to open the door and disappear inside before he muttered to Mari, "Someone's bossy. You sure he wasn't bothering you? He wasn't confessing his love again or anything, right?"

Mari nodded. "I'm sure. We were just clearing some things up." She patted his shoulder before motioning to the opened room. "Come on. Let's get everyone's stuff back before we call it a night."

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